Khamenei on Lausanne Agreement: Neither Agree nor Disagree; Congratulations are Meaningless

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, reacted late on Thursday, April 20, to the Lausanne nuclear agreement, stating that "there is no room for positioning" and that he is currently neither in favor nor against it. The state news agency IRNA quoted the Supreme Leader expressing doubt about the conclusion of Iran's nuclear negotiations with the 5+1 group, saying that at present, "congratulations are meaningless." According to Khamenei, "What has been done so far guarantees neither the essence of the agreement nor its content, nor even that the negotiations will reach a conclusion." He reiterated, "We agree with an agreement that preserves the interests and dignity of the nation, but not reaching an agreement is more honorable than one that undermines the interests and dignity of the nation." Iranian nuclear negotiators reached a preliminary understanding in Lausanne, Switzerland, about the framework of a comprehensive agreement, which is set to be signed in three months, by the end of June. Following this event, which was the headline of all global media, many people in Iran took to the streets to celebrate, and numerous high-ranking Iranian officials congratulated Mohammad Javad Zarif, the head of the negotiations, and supported his team. Meanwhile, the voice of the Supreme Leader had not been heard until Thursday when he again labeled the negotiating party as "untrustworthy" and warned that "everything is in the details; the untrustworthy party may want to confine our country in details." Khamenei explained why he had not reacted to this understanding until now, stating that "there was no room for positioning" and "nothing has been done yet and there is nothing obligatory." In his meeting with mourners on Thursday, the Supreme Leader emphasized that he has never been optimistic about negotiations with the United States. He said, "Although I was not optimistic, I agreed to this specific negotiation." He had also expressed skepticism about negotiations with the United States last August but emphasized that he does not prohibit continuing negotiations on Iran's controversial nuclear activities. Nevertheless, Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated his support for the nuclear negotiating team in Hassan Rouhani's government, stating that he continues to support them. According to the Lausanne understanding, the European Union will end economic and financial sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program, and the United States will halt the implementation of secondary financial and economic sanctions related to the nuclear issue simultaneously with the fulfillment of Iran's major nuclear commitments, as verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency.